I doubt that Victor Hugo could have imagined his masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame would be told in song, with singing gargoyles for comic relief. Yet that's precisely what Disney animated, and gave a happy ending. Why not? The Lion King is Hamlet, with a happy ending. Notes for the current stage production of Hunchback state that the musical is "Based on the novel by Victor Hugo with songs from the Disney film." A 1998 Berlin production followed a book by James Lapine, which was closer to the Disney film than is the new book by Peter Parnell. (For non-musical people, the book is the text of the script, as opposed the lyrics.) Working toward a suitable adaptation has been tricky, but it's clear that Parnell, composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin), lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Wicked), and director Scott Schwartz (yep, it's his son) have revisited the original text, and tried to bring a more faithfully dark, Gothic production to the stage. Hunchback's first run at the La Jolla Playhouse extended its run; Having transferred to New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse, the show continues to run to very full houses.
The production is certainly taking the long road to Broadway, where it is expected to run some time this year, but there's a lot to be said for the persistence of its creative team. Look at the other Hugo adaptation on Broadway: Les Misérables. It's not likely that Hunchback will quite live up to the success of Les Mis, but that's the scope and level of grandeur required to bring a Hugo novel to the stage. Director Scott Schwartz worked with designer Alexander Dodge to create a uniquely realistic set. In Berlin, set designer Heidi Ettinger was able to build an expansive (and expensive) set on hydraulic lifts. I'm not convinced that they are necessary, but I miss the vastness of the space created in the Berlin production. The cavernous, echoing emptiness. Dodge's set is very much a Gothic church, and does provide space for the considerable number of people in the cast, but it can seem a little cramped on the Paper Mill stage. Howell Binkley's lighting design is notably excellent, and I liked Chad Brock's choreography.
One of the biggest changes to this version of Hunchback is the use of the "Congregation," or ensemble. Functioning as a Greek chorus, it makes the production more fluid, and effective. The chorus as a dramatic tool was widely used in morality plays, and Hunchback is not shy about its morals. It's a parallel that makes dramatic sense. However, the use of the congregation minimizes the need for Clopin as a narrator (which is how he was used in the film). Schwartz and costume designer Alejo Vietti use cement-grey cloaks as a neutral for the congregation, covering up the costumes for bit parts, as needed. The cloaks also allow for ensemble members to transform into gargoyles and or saints that adorn Notre Dame. While we do still have gargoyles as characters, they're no longer the laughable trio of the animated film. It's clear that the various voices communicating with Quasimodo are his own thoughts, and when he finally casts them out, their exit creates a powerful absence on the stage.
In the main cast, Michael Arden is phenomenal. His Quasimodo is the Elephant Man of Musical Theatre. I wonder at how he blends his own beautiful voice with a character voice for the duration of the production (never mind the challenge of constant posturing). Arden has also learned some sign language, as Quasimodo is partially deaf. He later tells Esmeralda that he reads lips. As Esmeralda, Ciara Renée reminds me of Mimi, from Rent. (Renée actually played Mimi in college). Renée is very good as the kind-hearted gypsy. I'm not sure I believe that these three men would all find her such a lust-worthy figure, but I don't think it's because of the actress. Patrick Page, veteran of Disney stage shows The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, makes for a masterful Frollo. Am I the only one who first heard of Patrick Page as the husband of Paige Davis, host of TLC's Trading Spaces?
In any case, I truly hope Arden, Renée, and Page will be recording The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Not all of the new songs are as catchy or memorable as the songs featured in the 1996 movie, but some of the additions are very good. Esmeralda and Quasimodo share "Top of the World" toward the end of act I, the inclusion of "Someday" for Esmeralda and Phoebus becomes extremely moving, and Quasimodo's "Made of Stone" is the best of the new songs, and the strongest in the second act. Someday was part of the original soundtrack, recorded by Boyz II Men. Naturally, it is better served by being given a dramatic context.
My favorites are still my favorites, and Out There remains dear to my heart. My copy of the sheet music for the movie has been falling apart for years. Between Eponine and Quasimodo, I found the music created to express the unrequited love and feeling of being an outsider immensely relatable in my teenage years. Stephen Schwartz, of course, went on to write the music and lyrics for Wicked, which has similar themes. Structurally, The Hunchback of Notre Dame bears some similarity to Wicked. 'The Bells of Notre Dame" provides exposition in the same way as "No One Mourns the Wicked," but "Out There" is an early act I song of optimism in the same vein as "The Wizard and I," and Quasimodo makes his decision to act as though he is "Made of Stone" like Elphaba proclaims herself the Wicked Witch in "No Good Deed." These may be coincidences, but I think it also says something about the importance of the sentiments behind them.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as staged by Scott Schwartz, is a remarkable theatrical feat. It has not been easy to depict this story on stage, but the cast and crew have succeeded in making Hunchback a watchable, enjoyable show, grim though it may be. I'm interested to see what changes may yet be made for the Broadway run, if any, and how long that run will be. Without the heartwarming finales of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, or even Mary Poppins, I doubt that its tenure will be long. Sadly. See it while and when you can.
Notes:
- TheaterMania.com article with pictures from La Jolla Playhouse production
- Video advertisement from Paper Mill Playhouse
- Disneywiki with pictures from original Berlin production
- Cool for me: Alexander Dodge was the set designer for Bloody Blackbeard at Triad Stage in North Carolina, for which I was assistant director.
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